Motoramic

July 19: The first patent for retractable headlamps was filed on this date in 1934

Hard at work on designing what would become the Cord 810, Dusenberg president Harold Ames filed a patent on this date in 1935 for one of its many distinguishing features — headlamps hidden under covers in its fenders that would pop out only when needed. The first hidden headlights help give the Cord 810 its iconic style, and influenced decades of automotive design. Sadly, safety regulations and cost cutting have made pop-up headlights extinct, with the last examples disappearing in 2004.